In Kirbys defense and the fake punt

Chechem said:

Kirby Smart (about the fake punt):

"We had that play ready, were supposed to snap the ball fast, our receiver was uncovered, but we waited so long to snap the ball that Alabama covered the receiver. It was there early, but we didn't get the ball snapped."

Sorry if already posted.

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Then why not call a timeout?

B1GTide said:

My wife said the same thing. GA scored very early in the 3rd Qtr to get to 28 points and Alabama's defense shut them out for the remainder of the game. Had this gone to OT, Alabama was going to win. Your defense was getting it done in the second half. They only gave up 7 points and all but stoned the running game of a very good Georgia offense.

You are ready for the playoffs. Just need to rest and get refocused.

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I agree. I also read some comments from our defensive players.. they said UGA had offensive formations they had never seen before on film and most of the things they prepared for during the week, Georgia did not even run. That's interesting. I hope our OC and DC can start making adjustments sooner than the 3rd quarter. I realize halftime gives more time to make those, but I guess it's one of the issues of a first year DC. I like Tosh but still wish Jeremy Pruitt would have stayed.

Put a gun to my head and say that I can’t punt then I leave the offense on the field.

In this situation, I call time and then punt and pin them deep. If my defense can’t stop them from going the length of the field in three minutes, that’s life.


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RollTide_HTTR said:

Then why not call a timeout?

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I think Bama shifted into coverage just before the ball was snapped. Kirby may not have had time to call time out. It was just a bad call. He had a gut feeling Bama would score, even if backed up on their 15 with 3 minutes left, and felt he had to try the fake Punt. He was probably right. I think Jalen would have engineered a drive for a td, regardless of where they started from. I honestly don't think they were prepared for the improved Jalen Hurts.

Ledsteplin said:

I think Bama shifted into coverage just before the ball was snapped. Kirby may not have had time to call time out. It was just a bad call. He had a gut feeling Bama would score, even if backed up on their 15 with 3 minutes left, and felt he had to try the fake Punt. He was probably right. I think Jalen would have engineered a drive for a td, regardless of where they started from. I honestly don't think they were prepared for the improved Jalen Hurts.

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I just cant get there. 3 minutes to go with a qb that hasn't played a lot this year and a shakey kicker there is no question you punt the ball. If he was going to go for it on 4th and 11 it would've been far better if Fromm was out there.

I don't mind Kirby Smart trying to Les Miles his reputation a bit.

Having said that, I get why he wanted to do it, but not why he didn't change it once he saw Alabama was ready for it.

#1 never even looked to throw it and all receivers were covered. Smart is try to cover his rear instead of just saying he messed up. A TO should have been called and they should have punted. Smart felt all the pressure of the game closing in and panicked. They pulled out all the stops from new formations to gimmicks and it still didn’t work.

What receiver was open? I didn’t really seeing anything glaring.

Ledsteplin said:

I think Bama shifted into coverage just before the ball was snapped. Kirby may not have had time to call time out. It was just a bad call. He had a gut feeling Bama would score, even if backed up on their 15 with 3 minutes left, and felt he had to try the fake Punt. He was probably right. I think Jalen would have engineered a drive for a td, regardless of where they started from. I honestly don't think they were prepared for the improved Jalen Hurts.

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Think we baited him into it? He has been raving about how the play was there and he knew our punt safe defense left a man uncovered, back from his days as DC.

B1GTide said:

My wife said the same thing. GA scored very early in the 3rd Qtr to get to 28 points and Alabama's defense shut them out for the remainder of the game. Had this gone to OT, Alabama was going to win. Your defense was getting it done in the second half. They only gave up 7 points and all but stoned the running game of a very good Georgia offense.

You are ready for the playoffs. Just need to rest and get refocused.

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Your wife knows her football well. We were going to win if the game went to OT, which is why I think Kirby thought he needed to fake the punt. I think he was worried that if he punted, he wouldn't get the ball back. Our offense was moving the ball well at that point, we had the momentum. He thought he had to win the game right there.

Most times one play does not cost you a game, this did not help their cause.RTR

B1GTide said:

I just watched that play again - Alabama was not just in standard punt safe - you had your first string defense on the field for that play. It's like Smart decided that they were going to run that play no matter what look they got from Alabama. Saban straight up outcoached Smart there.

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I told that to my wife as soon as the play happened. And Kirby was making excuses and sailing how our special teams noticed it was going to be a fake at the last second. Uh, no way, bruh. Nick had his 1st string defense out there. He read you like a book. You are still the assistant and he is still the head coach.

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Chechem said:

Kirby Smart (about the fake punt):

"We had that play ready, were supposed to snap the ball fast, our receiver was uncovered, but we waited so long to snap the ball that Alabama covered the receiver. It was there early, but we didn't get the ball snapped."

Sorry if already posted.

Click to expand...

So he's throwing the kids under the bus. Nice.


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You play the percentages. Chance of success against a “punt safe” defense (with our “1’s out there) had a very low probably of success, especially in 4th and 11. You call time out at that point and you make a decision on going for with your offense or punt it and play defense. Percentages say punt it and play defense.

Whether Kirby recognized it or not, he basically told his defense one of two things; “we can’t give the ball back with 3 minutes to go. They have the momentum on offense. They’’ll go down, score and win” or “I have faith you guys on defense can stop them on a short field”.

I’m banking on the former as opposed to the latter.

Bottom line is that a fake punt versus a punt safe defense that is completely prepared to stop it (and putting the ball in the hands of a true freshman QB on top of it) was the absolute lowest percentage play to run.

AlexanderFan said:

So he's throwing the kids under the bus. Nice.


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That's my take. Instead of admitting he made a really dumb call, he tries to cover his butt by blaming it on either the snapper or the kicker. "They took too long to execute my stupid play."

Kirby was worked up after the game, almost seemed belligerent. At one point, he started trying to poke a hole in a wooden table with his index finger.

RollTide_HTTR said:

This. Not to mention it was an obvious fake and we knew it was coming. This is seriously why CNS is the GOAT. He doesn't shoot his team in the foot like that, especially not in those big moments

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Agree. However we did try and get cute with two QBs on the field on a drive and that blew up on us. I wasn’t a big fan of doing that at that time. Seemed unnecessary.


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